May, 1939
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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moral degeneracy which is the inevitable result of disregarding the Word of God. To take back even a measure of the ground - that has been lost will require a serious grappling with the problem. Certain it., is that no permanent results will be achieved through haphazard, spasmodic, and super ficial effort. . f à Bible Evangelism Lupine University Bible Clubs were organ ized with the twofold purpose of, first, es tablishing and strengthening Christian Students in the faith, and secondly, in giv ing the gospel to young people unreached through ordinary church channels. From She beginning, emphasis has been placed upon Bible education and Bible evangelism, distinguishable from religious education and ‘professional evangelism. 7 ° catch fish it is necessary to have a combination of the right kind of bait, a strong hook and line, and an alert fisher man ready to pull in the fish when it strikes. Contrary to popular opinion, young people today can be attracted if the proper bait is used, and they can be caught for Christ and brought through the fish gate by the employment of proper methods. A quest for this bait and these methods has constituted one of the major research proj ects of the University Bible Clubs. Three facts .which have been discovered are as follows : 1. The Christian student on the campus is the logical “fisherman” to be used in evangelizing the campus. 2. However, if he is to be successful in evangelistic effort, he must be supplied with the kinds of bait, hook, and line which are adapted to winning students on the campus. 3. Professional methods of soul-winning which have been wonderfully used of God in other days and in other environments often fail when applied to Students on the campus. In professional personal work ' the soul- winner is given the most important place in the process, since success to a major ex tent must depend upon his personality, his persuasiveness, his knowledge of the Word of God, his ability to explain, defend, and to convince. It is the method used by Philip the evangelist in dealing with the Ethiopian eunuch as recorded in Acts 8. In contrast is that type of evangelism which was illustrated years earlier by that same Philip as the young disciple who, immediately after being introduced to Jesus, found Nathanael and gave him his short, pointed, personal testimony, “W e have found him, of whom Moses in the iaw, and the prophèts, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45). He did not endeavor to answer, from his own meager fund of knowledge, the moral and theological question raised by Nathanael, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” His answer was the use of a method adapted to his limited' ability and experience as he directed Nathanael to the
source of knowledge by inviting him to “Come and see.” University students appreciate and re spect .the plea of science to investigate be fore reaching conclusions. The Bible evan gelism which has been developed in years of research with students on the campus concentrates the effort of the Christian stu dent on interesting and enlisting fellow stu dents to "come and see” through a personal investigation o f G od's Word. A student using this method of evangelism seeks to avoid, in so far as possible, all argument, controversy, debate, and doctrinal discus sion. Rather, he invites his fellow student to make a systematic study of the tremen dous claims and marvelous truths of the Word of God, thus using the scientific method of “investigating source material” in the discovery of Christ as “the Truth.” Attractive "Bait" One form of Bible Club bait used to at tract the non-Christian student consists of handy invitational pamphlets, one of which is known as the “49er” Folder. This bro chure suggests, by an analogy to “The Writes L. B., an honor graduate in chemistry at U. C. L. A., now attending Stanford Medical School to prepare for foreign missionary service: “Without my association with the Bible Clubs with their definite Bible study plan, it is hard to say what I would be doing. One thing is certain: I would have missed the blessing of coming to know Christ better. I might even have been turned away to skepticism and doubt because of the defi nitely antichristian teachings which were continually presented at the university.’’ From perplexity to purpose. From a career-bound course to full-time Christian service. That is what university life has meant to me. That change was due chiefly to the earnestness and determina tion of Christian students who knew Christ and made Him known. How thank ful I am for them all!—V. B. P. At the college I attend I have not found another Christian boy to whom I can talk about our Christian experiences. But the Bible Fellowship Devotionals have been my friends, and they talk to me and build me up. 1 find now that I do have time for daily Bible study, and the time is not wasted.— W. E. W. • Bewildered and at sea when I found myself loosed from home moorings on the university campus, I found chart and compass through the Bible Clubs which anchored my faith in Christ through the study of His Word. Subsequently, through the same organization, He called me to serve Him in China.— E. W. "The Word of God Is ... Powerful” •
Gold Rush of ’49,” that the Word of God contains treasure “more to be desired . . . than . . . much fine gold,” and invites the student to "prospect” for himself by becom ing a “49er" and agreeing to make a 49- day investigation of the Bible by means of a seven-weeks’ experimental course in "gold mining,” covering a special introduc tory study of the first seven chapters of the Gospel of John. Seven minutes a day— forty-nine minutes, a week—are to be de voted to reading the Word of God, and an equal period of time in studying the mate rial provided in the Introductory Bible Course. The Christian student who en rolls the "49er" must serve as "sponsor” and agree to meet in conference with the "49er” once each week to encourage and aid him in his study. Thus a seven-weeks’ opportunity is afforded in which Christ may be presented through the Word. Another form of bait is through the at tractive series of Bible Club pins or em blems. These emblems, when worn by the student, provide an effective and convenient visual form of testimony. Through the Sheep Gate Equal in importance with the evangeliz ing of non-Christian students is the "feed ing” of the sheep—the spiritual education of young people who are already believ ers. Here the outstanding distinctive contri bution of the Bible Clubs has been in the development of a method of daily Bible study designed primarily to meet the need of the hurried student on the campus, and to keep him at his study day after day. Brevity and simplicity are the outstanding characteristics of this method of study. An attractive, handy lesson form has been in vented which offers each day an assigned chapter to read, a meditation to enjoy, an application to make to the personal life, and notebook and study suggestions to serve as stimulants to further investigation. Results of the Experiment During the past ten years, countless stu dents have found Christ as their Saviour through a vital contact with the most pow erful of all weapons, the living Word of God. Many others have entered the abun dant life in Christ by daily feeding upon His Word. Another cause for thanksgiving is the large number of young people who are either engaged in or are in preparation for full-time Christian service, the fruit of seed sown of watered during their university days. A number of students are now at tending the Bible Institute of Los Angeles as a result of life investment decisions made through their association with the Bible Clubs in high school or college life. There remain other thousands of young people who need to be brought through the "fish gate” or the "sheep gate” to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. What is every Christian’s responsibility to them?
‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding” (Prov. 9 :1 0 ) .
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